Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-09-07

away with troubled vision OF b!ack-eyed
widows and spotted, cat-killing e dogs.
The next day Barton went out to his
place, but somehow he didn't get any lar
| ther. Away down on the other corner ne
could see small board shanty. He right
ly conjectured that it was the WIDOWS
house. But he thought it would do just as
| we'll to 20 down after day or two. lie
would think about it for awhile.
The widow Baxter was lady of rather
uncertain age, though by no means old.
| She had come out from Indiana a year be-
fore and in that space of time had worked
up a reputation for being exceptionally
able to take care of herself. .,
After few days Mr.. Barton, late OF Bit
ter Creek, determined to 60 down and see
| if he could not induce the widow to move.
He had serious doubts as to the success OF
his mission, but it had to be done; 80 ne
started out. Before leaving he carefully
washed his face and hands in the kettle in
which he usually boiled his potatoes-his
possessions not including anything nearer
| to washbowl- his clothes with
the horse-brush and put on clean shirt,
all Of which was rather remarkable when
we consider his before.named nativity.
He walked down across the quarter section
rather slowly, but arrived near the obJec-
tionable shack at last. AS he did so, to his
horror he saw the white-and-yellow dog
sitting in front of the door with his fore
legs spread very far apart, and nervous,
uneasy dropping of the lower lip. AS he
went past the widows cow, which was
picketed near the house, she hooked at
him. He ran a few yards to avoid her,
and when he looked at the dog he thought
he detected a smile playing around the
mouth of that intelligent animal, while
calf near by uttered a low "bar-r-r!" and
q pig squealed, a rooster flew up on the
edge of the pen and crowed while the hen
cackled. Evidently the widows whole
family was against him-they all seemed
to be applauding the action of the coW-to
which animal must certainly be awarded
first od-fguratively speaking.
He pretended not to notice these taunts
of the live stock, and, walking up to the
door, reached out to knock. But ne dlant
know that the dog had made a rule against
it. But he had-and enforced it person
ally. ....
The dog didn't say anything but MADE
vicious and unwelcome spring at his
throat. Our friend withdrew his throat
from the immediate scene of hostilities.
But the dog followed. He tried backing
up and kicking at the brute-part of the
time with both feet-but he never hit him
and once the dog bit through the toe Of his
boot. So he concluded to run. There
wasn't good prospect across the pralrle
with his own house the only one in sight,
so he started around the widows. 1t was
ten feet by twelve in size, and as he ran
very close to it it necessitated some very
short turns. He went around three or
four times and the dog followed. He
gained on the animal little on the turns
but lost along the sides. Occasionally the
white-and-yellow cur took bite at his
legs and once he leaped up on his back
and knocked off his hat.
About this time Mr.. Barton executed
wild leap and scrambled up on the low,
tar-paper-covered roof of the shack. The
dog didn't seem to be able to follow,
| though he acted as if he was going to be
| very good on the watch. But that was an
Improvement. And though he was still
subject to the taunts and jeers of the live
stock and domestic fowls, he nevertheless
felt much relieved. But the feeling was
short-lived. The door opened and the
widow herself came out! She wasn't
very large but her eyes were blacker than
ever. And she had shotgun in her
hands.
"What We be doin' up'n the roof O. my
| house?" she demanded with fearful en-
| phasis.
"Mis' Baxter" said the brave Mr.. Bar
! ton, who had removed scores OF objection
able men from his claim and had come
down to see that the widow also went,
| mis- Baxter come over t. see how ye
were gittin' long an if there was any
| 'sistance I could render ye. Haint yet
got no chain fer that dog? 2"
"Shut up bout that dog! Ye didn't
come fer no such thing-ye come to try to
make me git off n this place."
"Ye hain't goin' though, be ye?" he in
quired anxiously, and at the same time
automatically and guardedly.
mo, sir, hain't!"
II knowed ye wasn't knowed it all
the time! Say, what We goin' T. do bout
that dog"
"Shut up, say! Now ye ever goin' to
mosey round here bout this claim gin %
mo marm."
"IfI let ye down air ye goin' to make
tracks up cross the quarter to yer own
ranch ?"
"Tipe, come here! Now Mr.. Barker,
YOU slide down off'n that roof en- don't we
get into the rain bar'l either, an then scoot
fer home or this dog'll chew We up till
Yell feel 'sif the Methodist Church had
fell onter you!'
"All right, widder-good BY" and as
Mr.. Phil Barton, professional bad man,
late of-etc-., ETC., took long steps through
the tall prairie grass, it seemed to him as
if the COW, and the calf, and the dog, and
even the pigs and chickens were all in
volved in one immense, malicious trium-
phant grin.
After he arrived home he sat down to
think it over and count the wounds the
dog had inflicted. "I reckon when she
says she's goin' t. stay that she means it,"
he soliloquized. "Wall, blamed if I don't
rather like her style She's got the git
up and git, now 1 tell ye!"
He remained very closely at home for
several days. A dozen times day he
would look around at his lonely room,
sigh and then say: BLAMED if don't
like her style!' And at last his horse
brush and the potato kettle were again
brought into service for other than their
regular uses and once more he started forth
to visit the widow Baxter-this time on a
much more decided mission.
He approached her house from the rear
and very cautiously. He had visions OF
the dog. The guardian was nowhere Wis.
ible, however, and even the cow seemed
to intuitively understand the. nature OF
his visit and only shifted the air in
uuiringly after the manner OF the COW.
Still he knew he was treading on a
sleeping volcano. But he had plan. He
crept up through the long grass to the
back of the house, stepped up on the
water barrel and very quietly drew him
self up on the roof. Then he laid down
and looked over the front edge and kicked
on the roof with his toes. Low, harsh,
omnious ha rks came from the house, The